Trump reverses Pentagon plan to livestream Nidal Hasan's execution

President Donald Trump said the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan would not be livestreamed. The decision reverses an earlier Pentagon announcement that the execution would be broadcast.

In a Truth Social post Thursday, Trump said he believed a livestream might deter others, but acknowledged that many people did not want to watch Hasan die. His statement addressed objections to showing the execution through streaming or other visual means.

Trump said the execution would proceed by firing squad as scheduled. He also said victims' immediate families could witness it in person if they choose, preserving that option while ruling out a livestream.

Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people, including 12 service members, in the Nov. 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood, Texas. The attack injured 32 other people.

The execution by firing squad is scheduled for Dec. 3 at Fort Hood.

President Trump said in a Friday-night interview with WSTM-TV in Syracuse, New York, that he had not been involved in the decision to livestream the execution. He said he understood the decision.

The Pentagon plans to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. The proposal has drawn criticism, including warnings that it could inspire further terrorism.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Thursday that the Dec. 3 execution would be livestreamed. He said public viewing would demonstrate serious consequences. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth recommended the use of an Army firing squad and President Trump approved that plan.

Alonzo Lunsford, a former U.S. Army sergeant who survived being shot seven times at Fort Hood, said he supports execution by firing squad. He said it should not be viewed as entertainment.

Trump says he was not involved in decision to livestream execution

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